The Brief - April 2016

Vol. 12, No. 4 April 2016

Street Closures and Detours at
Northwest Regional Justice Center

Construction of a highway overpass at Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US
Highway 60/89) will impact access and travel time to courts and agencies
located at the Northwest Regional Justice Center in Surprise. Bell Road will be
closed east and west of Grand Avenue from 134th Avenue to West Point
Parkway for 8 months starting April 1st, 2016. The closure will
increase traffic on roads in the area and around the Justice Center. Plan ahead
for delays, heavy traffic, and increased travel time. Check with the courts and
agencies you do business with to see if there are alternatives, such as
electronic services or business that can be conducted by mail or through other
locations.

Telephone System Updates

On March 28 the Clerk’s Office updated
its telephone menus. The Office uses one main number, 602-372-5375
(602-37-CLERK), and routes callers using a pushbutton prompt system. Customer
and staff feedback resulted in the following changes:

Words, phrases
and menus were shortened or removed where possible

Some menu
options were reordered, improving speed and accuracy

An attorney
menu was added for issues most requested by attorneys and legal support
staff, including eFile, Distribution, Support Services, Family Support
Services, Billing & Deferral, Appeals, and File Counter

The next time you call the Clerk’s
Office, please do listen to the options closely, as some have changed.

Passport Season

Plan ahead: The State Department reports that passports can take 4-6
weeks to process and return. For many families, that’s about when school is out
for the summer. The State Department expects new and expiring renewal passport
applications to increase through 2018. Off-peak passport application months are
September through December, so if your summer travel plans include leaving the
U.S., you’re in peak application season and should apply now to avoid expedited
processing costs. See http://tinyurl.com/nlcyvso then print the application paperwork and
bring it with you. See the Clerk’s website at http://tinyurl.com/pzem7bl for fees and acceptable forms of payment. For passport application appointments, call the Clerk’s Office at
602-372-5375 and contact the Clerk’s correspondence section (phone prompts
7-1-2-2).

The Clerk’s Office hosted three weekend dates in the last six months to
assist customers during non-traditional hours. The Clerk’s downtown Phoenix
location will be open from 9-3 on Saturday, April 2 to process passport
applications and issue marriage licenses. For future weekend dates, check The Brief and follow the Clerk on
Twitter at @MaricopaClerk.

Making the Record Clear

Paper documents filed with the Clerk’s Office are processed through
black-and-white scanners then shredded. The resulting image is the official
court record. Electronic filings appear in the official record as color images
of the original document but copies of those records (including certified) are
printed on black-and-white copiers. To help practitioners create the clearest
record available, the Clerk’s Office has posted document preparation guidelines
on its website.

Following the guidelines
will increase accuracy and efficiency and improve the legibility and overall
quality of scanned images. Case numbers and their format are particularly
important for prosecutors, civil collection firms, and other practices that use
template documents where both the party information and case number needs
updating with each new document. Highlighted text on an eFiling may emphasize a
point, but highlighted text on paper may result in redaction after going
through a scanner. Other things to keep in mind or avoid using are blank or
colored paper, divider sheets and tabs, and writing on the back of a paper. For
solutions to these problems and more, see the Document Preparation Guidelines
within the “Filing” category on the Clerk’s main webpage or go directly to the
Guidelines at http://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/document_preparation_guidelines.asp.

An electronic update for the legal community providing a brief look at news in the Clerk of Superior Court's Office